Top 5 Reasons to Consider Locum Tenens in 2021
Let’s just face it: 2020 was hard year for everyone, but is arguably the most taxing year in decades for medical professionals. Managing the fallout from COVID-19 pushed many physicians, advanced physicians, and nurses to the limit on a daily basis, and for many, the challenge isn’t quite over yet. As we move into the new year and see a light at the end of the tunnel, now might be the perfect time to look at some of the top reasons to consider the locum tenens as the next step of your medical career.
Not sure how to get started? Just contact a Provenir Healthcare recruiter if you have any questions or need more information.
The Top Reasons To Consider Locum Tenens This Year:
1. Earn More Money
One of the main perks to working locum tenens jobs is the likely increase in pay. For most physicians, a part-time locum tenens assignment may involve working a few extra shifts at a local hospital or clinic on your days off, especially if the demand for healthcare is higher in the area due to COVID-19. The extra income can be a real boost for new physicians and others who need to pay off medical school loans or save for major expenses like a home purchase or a child’s college tuition.
Full-time locum tenens assignments usually involve a longer commute or a travel position that includes free housing and reimbursements for travel expenses. These positions also offer generous pay which is often higher than the salary rates for similar permanent positions. Opportunities for overtime pay, as negotiated in your contract, can add to the financial benefit of locum jobs.
2. Grow Your Skillset
No two work environments are exactly the same. Thus, working at different facilities – be it top research and teaching facilities to rural hospitals – enables you to broaden your skill set and learn new techniques. Those who try locum tenens have the unique opportunity to work for multiple employers, learn from new mentors, train on different equipment and add more varied work experience than practitioners who stay in the same job year after year.
3. Get Paid to Explore New Parts of the Country
For many people, travel and exploration are one of the big perks attached to the locum tenens career path. And why not? Each new placement could be in a vastly different part of the country, depending on your preferences. Perhaps you’re from the Midwest and have always wanted to live on the West Coast, or you are stressed out from big city living and long to escape to a quieter place and spend your days off exploring the Great Outdoors—these changes are possible when you go locum tenens.
You can check locations off your bucket list, try out a city where you might want to move or let yourself be surprised by an area you never would have imagined. No matter where you choose to work, a professional locum tenens staffing agency can handle the logistics.
4. Work in the Areas that Need it Most
In many ways, COVID-19 turned the demand for medical professionals on its head. As a result of that, several areas of the country, including rural communities, are hurting for doctors and advanced practitioners to care for their population. These patients may have limited access to services and the medical talents you can provide.
If you would like to be part of the solution and make a real impact, talk to a locum tenens recruiter about assignments where there is a particularly critical need, a long-standing vacancy or another situation where you can “do the most good.”
5. Prevent Burnout
The 2018 Survey of Physicians, conducted by Merritt Hawkins, found that 78 percent of physicians and advanced practitioners sometimes, often or always experience feelings of burnout, and health care leaders recognize burnout as a key issue for practitioners, employers and patients alike.
Whether you’re feeling worn down by your current work situation or simply need a change of pace in your medical career, locum tenens may be just the revival you need. Experiencing new faces and places, while continuing to do what you love most, can make for a healthy and positive step forward.
As you can see from this article, locum work can put you in touch with people that you would otherwise never meet, improving your understanding of patient populations and developing new friendships that can enrich your life for years to come. If you’re ready to get started with locum tenens work, contact the medical staffing professionals at Provenir Healthcare and let our team help you find your ideal placement!
